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Returning 35 results for 'defeating instincts are battle'.
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
domesticate steeders, particularly duergar. Typically the females serve as steeds in battle, while the males are used as draft animals.
Steeders attempt to tear apart perceived threats—and consider
begins shortly after the steeder hatches. As it grows, its rider works with it to direct its predatory instincts.
Rather than spinning webs, steeders excrete a viscous substance from their legs. This goo allows them to creep along walls and ceilings and to grapple prey.
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
domesticate steeders, particularly duergar. Typically the females serve as steeds in battle, while the males are used as draft animals.
Steeders attempt to tear apart perceived threats—and consider even
begins shortly after the steeder hatches. As it grows, its rider works with it to direct its predatory instincts.
Rather than spinning webs, steeders excrete a viscous substance from their legs. This goo allows them to creep along walls and ceilings and to grapple prey.
Monsters
Monstrous Compendium Vol. 4: Eldraine Creatures
strong instincts of self-preservation. When a snapping hydra feels a battle's odds tipping out of its favor, the hydra lets out a raspy screech and retracts into its shell. In the wilds of Eldraine
, it’s never long before a hungry or curious creature arrives to investigate, leaping into battle with the hydra’s foes while the hydra makes an opportune exit.
Bugbear
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
acts for bugbears. Garroting an unsuspecting creature and defeating foes in open battle are seen as acts of worship, in the same way that dwarves consider metalsmithing to be sacred to Moradin.
The
.
Shiftless, Savage Layabouts
When they’re not in battle, bugbears spend much of their time resting or dozing. They don’t engage in crafting or agriculture to any great extent, or
Magic Items
Lost Laboratory of Kwalish
approached.
Battle of Wills. When donned by a new user, the armor deems itself superior and attempts to take possession of that user. The user must succeed on a DC 13 Charisma saving throw or be
), but doesn’t gain access to the user’s knowledge, features, or proficiencies.
Freeing a creature trapped inside the armor first requires defeating the armor’s automatic defenses
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
slaying Iskra, the Frostmaiden’s roc (without which Auril can’t cast her nightly spell that keeps the sun at bay), or by facing Auril in battle and defeating all three of the Frostmaiden’s forms sequentially.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh
in their earlier battle with Sgothgah, forcing it to retreat, and are in the process of dismantling the last of the magical wards set up by the renegade aboleth. As the characters approach Landgrave’s
Folly after either defeating Sgothgah, making a deal with the aboleth, or succumbing to its enslavement, the two aboleths from the Endless Nadir are arguing over what is to be done with the kraken
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Turn of Fortune’s Wheel
Schley Map 9.1: Courier Four-Way Battle The characters, Sytri, and Tol all seek the glory of defeating the elder whirlwyrm. Track how much damage each character and the rival heroes deal to the monster
Beast of Grakenok When Grakenok comes into sight, read or paraphrase the description below. If Sytri or Tol reached Grakenok before the characters, they are already engaged in battle. With its
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
Fight or Flight Few creatures fight to the death. Nearly all creatures have survival instincts that cause them to reevaluate their tactics in the face of their own destruction. Sapient creatures
confronted by obviously more numerous or powerful opponents usually try to avoid battle. But brave, desperate, or devoted creatures might never retreat from a battle. If you can’t decide whether a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
reveals herself as the battle winds down, perhaps joining the fight against the kakkuus once the characters defeat the dangerous quavilithku. Talking with Vaeve Vaeve hopes the characters might help her
Gariba Vaeve An Explanation. The battle rages between forces loyal to Lolth, who is working with Vecna, and forces loyal to Miska, who is in the process of breaking free from his prison and is allied
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm Lord’s Wrath
the area shows up, looking for dinner. If the adventurers slaughtered the lizardfolk combatants without trying to parley, they have no assistance in fighting the rot troll. If the battle is still
and the party. Defeating one rot troll is a good start, but in order to peacefully release the prisoners, the lizardfolk insist that the characters defeat a total of three rot trolls. They can
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
fighting companies and bandit gangs, proving their strength by defeating others in battle and taking what they want as loot. Members of the cult can gain the Crushing Blow trait. Cult leaders can also
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
heroically in the face of classically villainous foes. Mogis is obsessed with defeating his brother Iroas, just as Iroas is obsessed with besting him. The characters could easily find themselves in the middle
assault on Akros, hoping to draw Iroas into battle and defeat him once and for all.
2 Mogis bargains with Pharika, convincing her to create elixirs that will turn his followers into invincible
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
Bugbears Bugbears are born for battle and mayhem. Surviving by raiding and hunting, they bully the weak and despise being bossed around, but their love of carnage means they will fight for powerful
to prove themselves worthy by defeating as many foes as possible. Venal Ambushers. Despite their intimidating builds, bugbears move with surprising stealth. They are fond of setting ambushes and flee
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
. The characters face a difficult choice: continue storming Xardorok’s stronghold or return to Ten-Towns to fight the dragon. The battle with Xardorok’s dragon forms the crux of chapter 4. Since the
dragon is a mobile threat, the characters might have to face it more than once as it ravages one settlement after another. The Ten-Towners have no hope of defeating the dragon on their own, so here’s a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monstrous Compendium Volume Four
and strong instincts of self-preservation. When a snapping hydra feels a battle’s odds tipping out of its favor, the hydra lets out a raspy screech and retracts into its shell. In the wilds of
Eldraine, it’s never long before a hungry or curious creature arrives to investigate, leaping into battle with the hydra’s foes while the hydra makes an opportune exit. Snapping Hydra Huge Monstrosity
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm Lord’s Wrath
of the mist to approach the ship. The allip’s howling babble instantly stuns everyone on the ship except the adventurers, as the crew collapses in a heap. Even if they get up during the battle, the
characters succeed in defeating the group, the rest of the aarakocra pester the party as they try to climb down the 800-foot-high cliffs. And, of course, the invisible stalker and manticores are always ready to attack intruders.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh
aloft by a crane over a muddy flat. A confrontation takes place, and it’s discovered that Mr. Dory is a devotee of Tharizdun blessed with power granted by Sgothgah. After defeating the aberration, the
to Tharizdun, where they are attacked by chuuls that dwell there. At the climax of this battle, the Whisperer appears from the polluted sea to attack the heroes — hoping to enslave them to its own dark
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
males, and the female often devours the male after breeding. In captivity, males are used as draft animals, while females serve as steeds in battle. Lone Predators. Steeders consider other steeders as
beast’s predatory instincts. Deadly Hunters. Rather than spinning webs, steeders excrete a viscous substance from their legs. This goo allows them to creep along walls and ceilings and to grapple prey
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monsters of the Multiverse
Underdark folk domesticate steeders, particularly duergar (also in this book). Typically the females serve as steeds in battle, while the males are used as draft animals. Steeders attempt to tear apart
with it, a process that begins shortly after the steeder hatches. As it grows, its rider works with it to direct its predatory instincts. Rather than spinning webs, steeders excrete a viscous substance
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
of a major battle.
2 Your twin sibling is a champion of Mogis.
3 You showed great courage in a losing battle.
4 You proved yourself in a contest of strength and skill at the Iroan
Games.
5 You called upon Iroas to witness an oath of victory in battle, and he took notice.
6 Despite having been knocked down repeatedly in life, you show grit and determination in all you
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
creature and defeating foes in open battle are seen as acts of worship, in the same way that dwarves consider metalsmithing to be sacred to Moradin. The bugbears recognize two other gods, both of which
, Savage Layabouts When they’re not in battle, bugbears spend much of their time resting or dozing. They don’t engage in crafting or agriculture to any great extent, or otherwise produce anything of value
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
devastated before the wider world becomes aware of a gnoll threat. ON DEFEATING GNOLLS
An excerpt from One Hundred Years of War, a famous manual of dwarven battle tactics:
Gnolls remain a threat
Gnoll Tactics Gnolls might seem to throw themselves into battle mindlessly, driven only by fury and hunger, but they do possess a rudimentary form of cunning that is borne out by several tactics they
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
. Halaster orders Nalkara to slay the characters, regardless of his feelings toward them. If the characters pass the test by defeating the empyrean, Halaster again uses the throne to throw his voice
them). The characters gain no XP for “defeating” Halaster in this fashion. If they refuse to leave, Halaster becomes annoyed and attacks them. If the characters took any actions to hinder Halaster’s
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
their battle against the tyrant, supplementing their martial skill with a new weapon: magic.
With their new power, Kynaios and Tiro inspired the people to rise up against Agnomakhos, ultimately
defeating his armies and striking the archon down. From their victory rose the polis of Meletis and the use of magic among mortals.
Agnomakhos’s fall remains a point of honor in the minds of Meletis’s people, a moment immortalized in relief upon countless civic buildings throughout the polis.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
into a physical form that doesn’t fill the sky (perhaps something similar to an empyrean or the tarrasque), which could enable adventurers to battle the god, especially if they have access to a divine
weapon like the artifacts detailed in chapter 5. But defeating the god in that form would merely weaken the deity, allowing other members of the pantheon to capture, bind, or punish them.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things
Mekkalath’s hoard is a Deck of Many Things. If the characters reach the hoard by defeating the dragon in battle or through stealth—perhaps while the dragon is distracted by food, the githyanki embassy
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
tasked with wandering the land as knights errant, relying on their judgment, bravery, and fidelity to the code of chivalry to guide them in defeating evildoers. A Purple Dragon knight inspires greatness
in others by committing brave deeds in battle. The mere presence of a knight in a hamlet is enough to cause some orcs and bandits to seek easier prey. A lone knight is a skilled warrior, but a knight
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
where warriors gather and celebrate, dwell the followers of Yurtrus, the god of disease and death, and Shargaas, the god of darkness and the unknown. Orcs too weak for battle (because of bodily
the cosmic implications of Maglubiyet’s attacks. To prevent the goblinoids from outstripping her people in population, she urges the orcs to have many offspring and teach them the ways of battle not
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
(Investigation) check, decoding it on a success. The journal tells the story of two people called “K.” and “V.” who once crafted murderous battle plans together, but then parted bitterly and became
the Characters. If the characters confront Kas before chapter 9, allow the battle to play out using the stat block for Kas in appendix B. If Kas defeats the characters, he kills them and absconds to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Turn of Fortune’s Wheel
Faunel where sapient animals overcome their instincts and live communally. If the characters converse with her, she shares the following information: She’s saddened to hear about Oka’s death but
thanks the characters for informing her. She suspects the Vile Hunt is working for Ebonclaw, the leader of the predators at Razortooth Rock. She recently defeated Ebonclaw in battle when he and some of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
belligerent. The truth is that many leonin simply enjoy fighting, whether verbal or physical. They take pleasure in argument, wrestling, sparring, and even battle, enjoying the opportunity to exercise
damage normal for an unarmed strike. Hunter’s Instincts. You have proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Athletics, Intimidation, Perception, or Survival. Daunting Roar. As a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd
Strahd’s tyranny, but he underestimated Strahd’s hold over the land and the creatures in it. After a battle between the two in Castle Ravenloft, Strahd drove the Mad Mage to the mountains and sent the
realization that he no longer has any hope of defeating Strahd or freeing the people of the vampire’s damned realm. The Mad Mage has forgotten his name and the world whence he came. In fact, he doesn’t
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
out the illithid colony. (As a party member, he’s entitled to a full share of XP for defeating monsters.) At the very least, if the characters help Ezria escape, he asks to stay with them until they
. Al’chaia is keeping them alive until they can be pitted against her finest githyanki knights in a display of battle prowess for the benefit of the young warriors in training. If the characters try to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
gain no XP for defeating Ezzat unless they also destroy the lich’s phylactery (located in area 23). Ezzat has the forcecage spell prepared instead of plane shift, and he wears an amulet of proof against
assistance in battle. If a fight breaks out, Ipses settles atop the lintel of the nearest door and tries to stay out of harm’s way. It has little cause to fear for the destruction of its master as long as